Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was tactical in welcoming Ausar Thompson back into the team in their 120-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
Thompson finished with six points and added an impressive three blocks, propelling their unbeaten streak to 11 games and ending Atlanta’s five-game winning run in the process.
His trademark energy was on full display, influencing the game at both ends of the court and providing a spark over his 23 minutes of play, which were during significant stretches for the Pistons.
Despite the limited minutes, Bickerstaff is thinking long term with Thompson. He has missed four games due to an ankle injury, and the plan is to ease the 22-year-old back with selected playing time, allowing him to regain his rhythm while protecting his long-term health.
Nov 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
“I thought he was good,” Bickerstaff said after the win over the Hawks.
“He is on a minutes restriction, so you’re always trying to juggle those minutes with how you get him to play in the fourth quarter, and if you can eat up some early first quarter minutes with him on the bench, that pushes those minutes into the fourth quarter, so we were able to play him down the stretch.
“He’s a starter for us, and once we get him back to his full level or even more minutes, we’ll be able to run him in longer stretches, and he’ll be back in the starting lineup.”
Thompson’s effective return suggests he is well on his way back to form, offering Detroit a valuable boost as the season progresses.
Along with Cade Cunningham returning on Tuesday night and playing like he was never on the injury shelf, the Pistons look more dangerous than ever.
They recorded their 11th straight victory over the Hawks to improve to 13-2, their best start since the 2005-06 season, boast the NBA’s longest winning streak so far and their longest since an 11-gamer during the 2007-08 season, the last time they won a playoff series.
That team went 59-23 and also reached the East finals.
And even though he didn’t mention it directly, maybe without even realizing it, Bickerstaff is making small comparisons to the Pistons’ bad boys of the late 80s and early 90s, where they won two NBA titles in that period.
His team has a mean streak that he feels is lifting his squad through their 11-game run.
“It’s just a willingness to do whatever it takes,” Bickerstaff says.
“The ability not to fold and fragment when things get rough. A determination when things get the muddiest and get the stickiest. They just know how to play through those moments.
“They relish in the ability to dig down deep and go places that other people just don’t want to go. And I think that’s why we’ve had the run that we’ve had, is because of their willingness to do just whatever it takes to get the win and be as nasty as we need to be.”
